Sunday, February 12, 2017

New Zealand: Dog feces on the floor, upended furniture and rubbish everywhere: Inside the squalid home of an animal hoarder found hiding in a corner as authorities came to take away her emaciated dogs

NEW ZEALAND -- A New Zealand animal hoarder who [is currently on probation and] has been banned from owning animals for five years was found this week hiding in small room with two very thin dogs.

Police officers and SPCA were forced to break into the unnamed woman's home after she refused to open the door and discovered her hovering in the corner of an unkempt home overflowing with piles of belongings, newspapers and animal waste, according to Seven Sharp.

Two dogs, who weigh half their normal body weight, were found cowering next to the woman and unusually didn't make a sound they were removed from the home by the SPCA.

Video footage shows the woman become angry as police step in-between her and the two leashed dogs.

PROBATION VIOLATION AFTER PREVIOUS ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGE

Police allege the woman started collecting dogs just one year after she was prosecuted for hoarding the animals.

The woman was disqualified from owning pets, but SPCA's Greg Reid told Seven Sharp that does not stop most animal hoarders from collecting more – and the problem is on the rise.

'For us it's almost like the analogy of an alcoholic. You wouldn't say to an alcoholic, 'you're an alcoholic, you have to stop drinking, you can only have one drink a day.' Because you know they're not going to do it,' Mr Reid said.

Last year an animal abuser was ordered by the court to undergo counselling in an unprecedented move.

Mr Reid said he hopes there will be a bigger emphasis on mental health and counselling for animal hoarders.

'We would really like to see far more compulsory mental health assessments and compulsory treatment orders as part of sentence as part of an animal abuse case. That would be great,' he said.

Mr Reid said the woman will face charges again.

'The challenge we have at the moment is the legislation prevents us from automatically forfeiting those animals and being able to re- home them. We still have to go back to court,' Mr Reid said.

The two rescued dogs now live at the SPCA Village and were seen running around and cuddling with staff.